Contact Lost
by Docson810
Summary: Possibly AU crossover between Halo and Subnautica. In 2186, the Aurora, a ship of unidentified class built by Alterra, and the Idolageian, a Phoenix-class vessel built by Misriah Shipyards, are sent to Planet 4546-B on a routine terraforming mission. When the Aurora is strcuk by an unknown projectile, the mission is changed. Humanity is about to wake up.
1. Prelude

**A/N: Hello there! If you're reading this, then I thank you for reading this far! This is an AU story based around the story of a popular game known as Subnautica (I don't know why people call it SubNautica on the FanFiction site). If you haven't heard of it, it is a survival game in its beta stages mid-development circulating around a shipwrecked survivor on an alien ocean planet. I highly recommend checking it out on Steam. Other than that, please feel free to leave a review or comment and tell me what you think (though, since it's a prologue, there isn't much to look at story-wise, but whatever). Constructive criticism is always welcome! Enjoy!**

 **Prologue**

2134: Humanity has just discovered interstellar propulsion technology in the form of dark matter-powered quantum dual flux repulsion engines. The United Earth governments begin investing large amounts of money into interstellar travel production companies, transportation corporations, and engineering firms in hopes of developing more efficient ways to traverse the known galaxy.

2137: Two engineering firms emerge as the dominant starship producers. They are the Alterra Corporation and Misriah Industries. These two companies begin semi-mass production of new starships for use in extra-terrestrial exploration and colonization.

2138: Alterra Sciences' first official exploration vessel, the Romulus, begins active service in exoatmospheric travel, beginning with the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, and its sister star, Beta Centauri. The first organized mission to the dual star system is expected to take approximately 30 years.

2141: Misriah completes research and begins production of the Phoenix-class starship, a 2.5 km long vessel capable of sustaining a large population in deep space for up to twenty years.

2145: Establishment of a long term habitat on Luna sparks prototypes in interstellar power technology, as well as testing for life-supporting terraformation set to be mounted on ships.

2152: Misriah and Alterra establish a joint-production operation on Luna to produce starships for exploration, terraforming and colonization, as well as produce equipment and technology vital for space travel.

2154: Alterra introduces the Stasis Rifle, an ion battery-powered generator in the shape of a rifle designed to hold objects and possibly hostile life forms in temporary stasis. The weapon is designed to, on charge, fire a glowing ball of plasma energy that disrupts local electrical currents, essentially "freezing" anything caught in the field of fire, whose size is dependent on how long the trigger is held.

2156: Alterra introduces the Propulsion Cannon, as well as the upgraded version, the Repulsion Cannon. Similar to the "Gravity Gun" produced by 20th-21st century company Black Mesa, the Propulsion Cannon can carry objects up to 15 times its size and weight in an artificial gravitational field.

2157: Alterra introduces the Seamoth personal submersible, a water-borne vehicle designed for localized deep-sea exploration and documentation. It is designed to be released from a shuttle into open waters, whether the carrier be submerged or not, to map out local sea life at limited range due to a small power supply.

2159: Alterra introduces the Seamoth Mk. II, an improved version of the Mk. I with a larger battery size, a thicker, more rugged hull, and enhanced sonar and communication instruments due to issues found in the design of the original.

2159: Alterra introduces the Cyclops deep-sea submarine. The Cyclops is designed for extreme oceanic environment several hundred meters below the surface. The Mark 1 includes a V16 cylinder ion propeller drive, segmented compartments, an enameled glass canopy on the bridge, a dive chamber, and an enhanced version of the Seamoth Mk. 2's sonar system. This submersible can hold up to 6 occupants and a single Seamoth personal submersible and is suitable for deep-sea exploration and research as well as ferrying of passengers to underwater habitats.

2161: Misriah introduces the D77-TCH Pelican, an upper orbit capable personnel and equipment transport, and the D96-TCE Albatross, a sub-orbital capable transport used for large equipment ferrying to and from orbital stations, elevators, and platforms and starships.

2162: Luna's large-scale production facility, TYRANT 2, expands to house thousands of tourists and citizens in a city-like hub based around an oxygen generator that provides an Earth-like atmosphere. It is expected that future colonies will use the technology employed here.

2162: HRUNTING, Misriah's largest sub-division, officially branches off from Misriah to begin their own standalone corporation. HRUNTING's first product, the Mark II Powered Exoskeleton, nicknamed the Mantis, begins mass production in July. The Mantis will be carried on mining and exploration vessels to extract ores and minerals and to carry cargo between locations.

2164: The Mark III Exosuit is introduced by Alterra as an official exosuit make and model just months after announcing the Mark I. Designed for exoatmospheric or oceanic activity, the Exosuit features two fully articulated arms and a thruster pack that can be configured for space or oceanic travel at the flip of a switch. The single user has a large viewport made of the same glass-type material used in the Cyclops.

2165: The Idolageian, a Phoenix-class starship, is officially commissioned for interstellar exploration and colonization. Its first assignment is to accompany the Degasi mining ship to Alpha Gabriel, where a new element, Unsobtinium, is discovered in an orbiting moon. This new element in its unrefined state contains immense energy. One ton can power a dark matter engine for up to 4 weeks.

2167: The Shaw-Fukijawa Translight Dark Matter Drive is introduced.

2167: The Mako is introduced by Alterra Sciences. While the Cyclops has already proven itself as a formidable and effective oceanic vehicle, the Mako takes many of the same parts from the Cyclops and places them on a slightly larger scale inside of a hull that is 7 times larger than that of the Cyclops. Outfitted with twin Seamoth-Exosuit moon pools with sealable hatches, two dedicated docking ports on either side of the submarine, two decks, fully stocked living quarters for the crew of 10 and an extra 15 passengers, enhanced dedicated sonar from 5 hubs located all around the outer hull, and a full 210 degree viewport of the surrounding ocean from the bridge and the observation deck on the lower deck just below the bridge, all powered by a miniaturized dark matter repulsor drive. The viewing glass on the bridge and the observation deck have been upgraded from the Cyclops design, now with built-in hologram projectors on an atomic scale, able to present high resolution images in real time, whether they be static or moving, at a constant 5120-by-2880 pixel display resolution. The new glass also has been strengthened atomically and thickened, making the Mako capable of depths of up to 3000 meters.

2168: The Aurora terraforming vessel is commissioned by the Alterra Corporation.

2168: HRUNTING formulates a new version of the Mantis, refitted for potential transport inside the Cyclops submersible or the Mako deep-sea submarine, similar to the Mark III Exosuit. This new model also has a variant capable of oceanic travel at depths up to 600 meters.

2170: First contact from the Romulus in orbit around Beta Centauri's fourth satellite. Received scans indicate possible dihydrogen monoxide deposits in solidified form near the southern pole.

2171: A previously unknown and unidentified planet, labeled 4546-B, is located and named in the Hydrus system.

2172: The Spirit of Fire colony ship arrives in Beta Centauri to begin colonization efforts alongside the Aurora's terraforming efforts.

2173: The Aurora is sent to Beta Centauri to assist in terraforming efforts on the fourth moon.

2174: Beta Gabriel's first colony, Harvest, is established.

2174: During long-range scans, it is determined that Planet 4546-B is an ocean planet, with habitable conditions for humans, including an oxygen and nitrogen rich atmosphere and luscious flora. Massive subterranean deposits of Unsobtinium are revealed in subsequent scans.

2175: The Epsilon Eridani star system is discovered.

2176: New Harmony is established in the Epsilon Eridani system.

2177: Reach is terraformed and colonized in the Epsilon Eridani system. Large titanium deposits

2178: The sister planets Harmony and Tribute are established in the Epsilon Eridani system

2179: Radio contact is lost with the Degasi mining vessel near planet 4546-B, and the ship's beacon is lost mere minutes later during an off-record visit to the planet. No distress signal is recorded, and the documented conversations are wiped from all mainframes involved.

2181: HRUNTING introduces a new form of Artificial Intelligence decades ahead of its time. The AI is able to run thousands of tasks and algorithms at once and is able to hold intelligent conversations with real emotion and thought processes. The first official non-beta AI, Alyx, is installed in the Idolageian with access to all WiFi-capable electronic devices on the ship.

2183: The Idolageian is refitted for mining and terraforming, and receives a complement of both Albatrosses and Pelicans, as well as Mantisi.

2186: The Aurora and the Idolageian are assigned to Planet 4546-B for a terraforming mission.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: If you're reading this, then thank you for reading this far into (insert name here), and for that I thank you! This chapter will be the actual beginning of the story. Ya know, with written dialogue and narrative and character. Anyway, feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think. If this story gets good feedback, I'll update it (hopefully and loosely) every month, depending on school, social life (who needs those) and stuff. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 1**

June 23rd, 2186, Aurora-

Mike slowly rose from his stiff mattress to the sound of the holographic alarm projecting from the wall. The sterile air smelled of cleaner, and it was fresh. The stench of floor wax and window washing fluid flooded his nostrils as he unsealed the bulkhead door separating him from the rest of the ship. Mike felt like shit. Like he didn't get enough sleep, and he had just drank 3 bottles of tequila the night before. Then again, every morning on the Aurora was like that.

Mike resealed the hatch after stepping back into his room. A feminine voice spoke from a speaker mounted in the wall, speaking his name and giving Mike a list of the day's events so far. The near-monotone speaker barely made a dent in Mike's foggy head as he slid over to the sink and shower. He let out a groggy as the morning fog slowly began to lift. He gave himself a quick rinse under the hot water and steam. After relieving himself, he stepped in front of his automated dresser as it applied his working pants and shirt as well as his tie, before grabbing his lab coat off of his coat hanger. He reopened the bulkhead door and stepping out into the fresh-swept halls of the Aurora.

The sleepy man slowly made his way down to that level's cafeteria where most of the 100 other crew members were already eating. Except, of course, the captain and the three passengers. He'd never understood why they were on the ship in the first place. Still thinking about it, he shuffled over to the line and grabbed a tray with the usual; a nutrient block, a beverage, and a tasteless dessert designed to overwhelm his taste buds with "a wild mix of sugars and enzymes." Realistically? It tasted like stale powdered sugar. Not wanting to keep the flavorless pastry in his mouth (they were really that bad), he swiped a cup of coffee on his way out the door. He strolled down the gleaming white halls of the terraforming ship to the elevator, sipping the black liquid as he did. _Well, at least the coffee tastes good,_ Mike thought to himself.

The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors slid open into the sides of the elevator and Mike stepped out into one of the many labs aboard the starship. Inside were the usual scientists, the ones he saw every day. The same old balding men who smelled of grass clippings and shampoo. Well, he couldn't say all of them were old. In fact, around a third of his team were younger than 40, and two new recruits had come on just before they left their dock back at Reach. Either way, it felt good to be back in his element.

Mike casually strolled to his lab station with his coffee, finishing the cup as he sat down. He subsequently tossed the disposable ceramic mug into the incinerator chute. He saw two of his teammates, Tim and Steve, walking towards his station. Tim was holding a clipboard and scribbling furiously, while Steve carrying a tray of beakers with various samples gathered by probes from 4546's orbiting moon.

"Morning guys," Mike said, glancing at the contents of the beakers. One contained reddish-orange rock submerged in distilled water, a large line of gray-black material running across the surface. Another held a chunk of ice.

"Morning," Steven replied, placing the steel tray on the pure white tabletop. "Steve, would you stop writing for two seconds and say hello? You've been scribbling on that thing for the past 10 minutes.

Tim looked up, obviously irritated. "What? You know how important this could be. We might have just found something that can refine Unsobtinium. The boss wouldn't be too happy if she saw me ignoring it to have a chat about your crappy coffee." Tim turned his attention to Mike, seemingly in surprise. "Oh. Hi Mike."

"Hi, Tim," Mike replied. He always liked when newbies joined the team. They usually made the atmosphere so much more…interesting. There was a good chance one would make a mistake like mixing two substances accidentally or dropping a beaker. And when they did, the rest of the scientists were always ready to laugh. He had a different feeling about Tim, however. He'd had been schooled at one of the most prestigious academies in the Solar System: Van-Hessling School of Chemical and Astronomical Sciences on Mars. The kid was a genius. He'd gotten a degree in astrophysical chemistry, a field specializing in the identification and experimentation of extraterrestrial objects. He had been handpicked by top Alterra advisors for this expedition.

"See? Being social can be fun," Steve taunted. He, on the other hand, was a veteran on the ship. He and Mike had been friends since primary school. They'd gone to the same university on Earth, and aimed for the same degree. Somehow, they'd ended up on the same ship as well.

"Fuck you," Tim replied, turning back to his notes. Steve just laughed. Mike, on the other hand, just chuckled. He liked these two. He was expecting to have a good trip.

The captain's voice interrupted the light-hearted session between the team members. "All hands, we will be dropping out of our jump shortly. On approach to Planet 4546-B. Enjoy the view, everyone," the female voice stated as the repulsor engines became notably quitter. Mike felt a light jolt and watched as the bright blue streaks of light slowed an eventually disappeared as the Aurora dropped out of her high speed jump.

The first thing Mike saw was 4546-B's large moon. It was a peculiar sight. The planet's orbiting entity was around one twelfth the size of the planet itself and orbited so closely to the water covered planet that he was amazed it hadn't dropped out of orbit range and into the vast saltine oceans yet.

The next thing he saw was the other ship assigned to the mission. The Idolageian was fitted with the newest model of Misriah's Shaw-Fukijawa dark matter drive. The new model was designed to open a gateway that allowed for faster travel times between destinations, called "slipspace." Unfortunately, only Misriah ships had the pathing and reactor capabilities to power it. So, the Aurora was stuck on the slow side. _At least this ship doesn't look like a flying piece of mangled steel,_ Mike thought to himself. Already, he could see the Idolageian's hangar doors opening. The ship was massive. A full 2.5 kilometers long, six times that of the Aurora. It had nine times the carrying capacity for crew members, passengers, and equipment, along with other commodities they might pick up.

The captain's voice spoke again. "All science teams, report to Hangar Bay 3. I repeat, all science teams, report to Hangar Bay 3."

"I wonder what they want," Steve said as the other members of the research group began making their way to the elevators.

"I don't know. Maybe something to do with exploring the surface?" Mike replied, equally as confused.

"I sure hope so. When I first heard about 4546-B, I instantly wanted to visit," Tim spoke out as the threesome stepped into one of the circular white lifts. Two minutes later, they were walking across the steel floor of the Aurora's third hangar. Several "Pelicans," as they called them, from the Idolageian had arrived and were now resting on the cold floor. Four groups of scientists were standing in behind them, conversing with flight crews and officers from the Aurora.

"…and we still don't have any thermal readouts of any potential life forms down there, so we'll be flying in scout ships first. A few Pelicans from the Idolageian will be doing that," a male voice spoke as Mike and the others approached. Two of the other science teams had already arrived, and were listening into the conversation.

"Ah, I see more of your colleagues have arrived," a gruff male voice announced. The man appeared to be in his mid-50s, though his hair was still full and colorful, rather than gray. His large figure complemented his voice and his face.

"Lieutenant Clarke, this is Research Team Gamma, one of our more prestigious groups. They'll be on the first flight," another member of the Aurora's crew spoke. Corporal Siggins was the head of operations for the Western wing of researchers on the ship. "These are Drs. Michael Sartall, Steven Cluence, and Timothy Massern," he stated as Clarke stepped forward.

"Good to meet you, doctors. I take it you are willing to be on our first flight down?" Clarke asked, knowing the answer already.

Tim was the first to answer, and he did so almost immediately. "Yes sir, Lieutenant Clarke. I believe I answer for all of us here, am I correct?"

Mike and Steven simply nodded their heads in agreement. In reality, Mike hadn't even been expecting to set foot on the planet. All he had really hoped for was a simple glimpse or maybe an elongated view.

"Good. Well, as you'll be on the first flight down, I'll need you to gather any portable equipment you'll need and take it with you. We are already organizing the larger ones," Clarke responded.

"Once you have your equipment, return to your quarters. The captain has specifically ordered that we provide you with multi-temperature adaptable wetsuits. You'll find them in your bunks. Good luck, gentlemen," Siggins finished, and the science teams filed out of the hanger.

"Well, this is pretty significant, wouldn't you say, Mike?" Steven said as they walked down the halls of the Aurora back to the laboratories.

"Definitely," Mike replied simply, smoothing his near-flat hair, his cyan streak sticking up with his bangs like a road spike.

"Make sure to pack your PDA. You never know what you'll find. We might even run out of memory," Tim finished as the group separated. Mike simply gathered a few notepads, his PDA, a few cases, and a few small instruments before returning to his room on the lower decks. He still couldn't believe he was actually going to set foot on the planet. All this talk of terraforming and he was actually going to feel the water flow through his hands.

Mike saw the wetsuit as soon as he opened his bulkhead door. It was a simple one piece suit, typical of first-contact operators. It was black with a tannish-yellow strip running down the middle, and contact points for fins as well as a rebreather. _Well, it's not the ugliest thing I've ever seen,_ Mike thought to himself, turning the suit around in the mirror. He put on the wetsuit after shedding his clothes, before grabbing his rebreather and the two crates of equipment. Stepping out into the blinding white of the hallways once again, he went over the plan in his head again. _So we're going to be going down first after the scouting parties. I guess we'll be scanning any life we find, and generally map out the area. Hopefully we find something, because at least it will make our trip worthwhi—_

A massive explosion rocked the ship, throwing Mike to the ground. The lighting in the ceiling flickered dangerously, and the red emergency lights began flashing and emergency intercom recordings blared over the speakers. A second explosion occurred, and several more alarms began to wail.

"Impact detected. Hull failure. Hull failure. Catastrophic pressure loss in effect in sections 3C through 9F. All personnel, report to lifepods. Impact detected," the recording wailed as secondary explosions continued to occur. Mike quickly stood and sprinted down the hallway, quickly realizing the danger.

Mike nearly ran out over the railing of the walkway as he entered the hangar at full speed. _No. No, no no no,_ he screamed in his panicking head. The shuttles were either gone or destroyed, along with the Pelicans. He could see other members of the crew falling about the floor of the room as the lights dimmed yet again. Another explosion occurred, and the entire vessel lost gravity for several seconds.

He was nearly knocked out by the force of the impact. The cold floors were too sturdy to dent, so his head had literally bounced off of the steel. He slowly stood up again, stumbling towards the doorway at half speed. That didn't last long though. Despite possibly having a concussion, Mike was determined to get off of the ship. He sprinted down the corridors of the massive ship, fearing at every turn that the hull would be torn apart before he could get to where he was going.

"Lifepod available. Lifepod available," the short-range speakers wailed under the sirens. It was music to Mike's ears. He sprinted full speed through the silver airlock door, yanking open the topside hatchway of the bulbous white Lifepod 7, labeled on the interior walls. He slid down the ladder in the center of the escape vessel, noting the flashing lights and the sparking communications relay. Checking everything, he quickly climbed back up the vertical ladder and scanned the hallway to make sure nobody else was coming. He could hear the strained metal of the Aurora's hull groaning and twisting, ready to split at any second. Seeing no one, he clambered back down into the safety of the lifepod, PDA hanging from his hip. He nearly dove into the seat projecting from the wall, and frantically tapped the digital keypad next to the seat. Rounded black handlebars descended from the wall over Mike's shoulders, securing themselves by steel clips in the wall.

The computer automatically began it's countdown. "Lifepod launch in three. Two. One. Launch." The lifepod shot what was seemingly downward, away from the Aurora. As it sped away, Mike received a better look at the Aurora, and what he saw was pure devastation. A gaping streak of mangled molten steel was left in the side of the ship, and fires were all around the hull, top and bottom. The bridge and control tower was in tatters, with chunks of wreckage peeling away from the main superstructure. All that was left of the upper left engine was a massive fireball, trailing from the ship as more explosions appeared all over the Aurora. He saw numerous other lifepods eject as well, speeding away from the flaming starship as fast as they could.

Suddenly, another explosion occurred. However, this one was different. The fireball sped outward, and then sucked back in. _That's not good,_ Mike thought to himself as the implosion suddenly became a near-nuclear level explosion near the dark matter drive, blowing out the hull and finishing the engine once and for all. The Aurora began her nasty decent to the surface of the planet, vaporizing two other lifepods in her wake. The shockwave of the initial explosion slammed into Mike's pod like a MagLev train. Emergency lights started instantly, and the lights turned red and began flashing. The fire extinguisher was detached from the wall and began rumbling around the floor. The electrical panel also detached, but this one started to bang into everything. _Settle down, settle down,_ he thought to himself as the flat metal square finally came to rest on the bottom of the pod. Mike finally relaxed slightly. _Well, at least nothing bad happened with tha—_

As if it had ears, the metal panel flipped up into the air and hit Mike square in the face, knocking him out cold, as his lifepod descended to the ocean surface at an alarming rate, fiery pieces of steel falling around him.


End file.
